We went out to potty very late last night, and when we got back the boys had one of their typical short wrestling session while I was closing the door, hanging up leashes, etc.Then I heard screaming... and not just the kind that sometimes happens w/rough play, but really panicked screaming, and from both of them. Ran in the spare bedroom (where the crates are), and saw the dogs both in the same crate tangled up somehow, trying to pull away from each other, and screaming their heads of.Apparently Sepp managed to grab Faust by the collar, and somehow looped part of it around his bottom front tooth... and the harder he tried to pull free, the tighter the collar got around Fausts neck.Faust wears a hemp martingale-style collar, because none of the hardware touches his skin and the hemp doesn't irritate his neck... it also doesn't have a release buckle and just slides over his head.So, not only were they in a panic about being wedged in the crate together (bulging eyes and all), but the more they tried to pull apart, the tighter the collar got and Faust literally couldn't breathe.I grabbed both tails, pulled them out of the crate, sat on Sepp while trying to keep Faust still, all the while swearing like a sailor... stuck my hand in the middle of all those teeth, and somehow managed to unloop the collar from Sepps mouth.Faust immediately went to the bathroom all over the carpet, and all three of us were SHAKING... God, I hadn't been this scared in ages.I immediately removed the collars and checked Fausts neck and throat... no swelling, and he seemed to be able to breathe okay. The hemp collar - very twisted, but didn't come apart anywhere and could've killed him. Both have some scratches over their eyes and Sepps mouth was bleeding a little bit, but it's minor stuff.To their great credit - neither dog tried to bite me, though I fully expected it (and didn't care at the time), and they both started checking each other out w/lots of sniffing and licking, tails wagging.They both curled up in the same bed afterwards and Faust hyperventilated a few times, but he has stopped by now.I had heart palpatations for the rest of the night, I think... if this had happened in the yard it would've been impossible to get them apart quickly, and I'm glad they got themselves "stuck" in the crate at least, so I had better/faster access to them.

Lesson learned - remove collars AND leashes at the same time from now on. Only use the martingale on walks, and find a different "house" collar w/a release buckle. Don't swear in front of the children (I think I heard Faust repeat "&*^%$#" this morning).

I had Gibbs get his jaw tangled in one of my boarding dog's collar...a martingale also...luckily they got themselves untangled before I reached them (not sure they'd have not bitten me!). My guys never wear collars at home, for this reason...but my boarding dogs always wear martingales with my tags, just in case they get loose...and so they don't slip collars.

Premier makes a quick release collar, similar to the ones cats wear...it's got two D-rings for leashing, but it breaks apart if the collar is tugged. The one I was thinking of is the Keep-safe collar, but they do have another safety collar...the Playsafe collar. I might have to get these for my boarding dogs!

Sorry you had a scare like that- it had to be horrifying for everyone. I am glad nobody (human or canine) got seriously injured. I have no experience with the martingale collars, but it sounds like the break away type are a good alternative for indoors. I am sure that the break away collar function has saved my cats from injuries and possibly death on more than one occasion (found the collars opened up on the floor). I did not know they made them for dogs and will be looking into that for a safe alternative for Ino when he is indoors. I do take his collar off when I crate him and leave, but there are plenty of other things he could get snagged on when we are indoors and his collar is still on. I never thought of him getting hung up on other things and that is a possibility. I do not have another dog for him to get tangled up with, but he could easily get snagged up on random objects. Glad everyone is safe and that there are no hard feelings between the boys. Thank you for sharing your experience. It made me consider a scenerio that could be a life saver for Ino.

Thanks for the link, Erin... I prefer to keep collars on mine, even in the house, just in case. I do have a hemp collar w/a release buckle, so that's what Faust is wearing now.It never occured to me that the martingale could become a chocking hazzard... hindsight is 20/20.

BOB!

I'm still amazed that I wasn't bitten (even accidentally), but I'm happy that the dogs trusted me enough to get them untangled even though they were very, very scared.

I'm so happy the boys AND you are all okay! This happened to a friend of mine. A innocent wrestling match ended up in a caught tooth and resulted in a horrific dog fight that was very hard to break up.

Ino wrote: I do take his collar off when I crate him and leave, but there are plenty of other things he could get snagged on when we are indoors and his collar is still on. I never thought of him getting hung up on other things and that is a possibility. I do not have another dog for him to get tangled up with, but he could easily get snagged up on random objects.

Mine don't wear collars in the crate either... I never realized that a quick-release buckle could make the difference between "life-and-death" until I realized that there was no way I could get the martingale collar off Faust last night because it tightened around his neck to the point of strangling him.

I had a situation like that a couple of years ago with Guido. We were cutting and clearing branches in the backyard when he started making this really weird choking sound. He had gotten his leather collar caught on a downed branch and in trying to get loose had thrashed around so much he'd twisted the collar on that branch like a tourniquet. I could not pry him free or get the buckle undone because the collar was twisted so tight. I yelled to my mom to bring me the pruning shears, but G wasn't holding still and I was afraid I'd cut him while trying to cut the branch to get him loose. I very sternly commanded him to stop (thrashing) which he did and I was able to cut the branch up close and get it out of his collar. To this day my mom says that the only reason Guido is alive is because he listened and obeyed me. It scared the crap out of me! From that day on G doesn't wear a collar at home.

I didn't know about these quick release collars. I'll need to check into them.

amazincc wrote:I'm still amazed that I wasn't bitten (even accidentally), but I'm happy that the dogs trusted me enough to get them untangled even though they were very, very scared.

gotta love the breed

I'm glad everyone is ok!

I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day, tomorrow doesn't look good either.
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"You didn't know of the magical powers of the break stick? It's up there with genies and Harry Potter as far as magic levels go." SisMorphine 01/07/07

HappyChick wrote: I very sternly commanded him to stop (thrashing) which he did and I was able to cut the branch up close and get it out of his collar. To this day my mom says that the only reason Guido is alive is because he listened and obeyed me.

SO true... I also managed a very stern "stop it", and they both held still long enough for me to free Faust.Gave me a whole new perspective on their obedience and how I want to proceed w/their training in the future.

My friend had two small something-er-others who had thin chain collars on and one's foot got tangled in the other's collar. He had one choaking to death and the other's foot breaking. He managed to grab plyers or some tool, and break the collars. After mouth-to-mouth on one, everyone was okay.

Just to clarify, the collars I posted are NOT quick release collars like normal collars that have plastic buckles that have to be pushed in to be released. The Premier safety collars are designed to break-away in case of dogs getting tangled in each other, or other things (branches, fences, crates, etc). Just like cat collars...they don't need human interference to be released.

"I don't have any idea if my dogs respect me or not, but they're greedy and I have their stuff." -- Patty Ruzzo

"Dogs don't want to control people. They want to control their own lives." --John Bradshaw

Run Hard at the Rainbow Bridge My Angel Sock-M! I Love You Baby Girl! Now that your Mom Starlit is up there too, please help her learn the ropes, love and keep her company until I can see you both again. Starlit I love you!http://i14.tinypic.com/2a8q345.jpg

Yep my guys preferred method of irritating and/or dragging is by chicken legging on the back leg...it can be quite comical watching Scooter with Doogies and Doogie all twisted around hanging on to Scooters...silly boys!

This same thing happened to us a few weeks ago. Scared the crap out of us, and the dogs! poor Harlow's eyes were all pink and she was hacking. Since then though, I've noticed Degan hasn't been dragging, her by it, or even touching her collar...so I guess he must have scared him just as bad as us.

I'm so glad to hear Faust and Sepp are okay!

~Brittany, Degan and Harlow's mom

"It is true that Pit Bulls grab and hold on. But what they most often grab and refuse to let go of is your heart, not your arm."